Wallace B. Jefferson

Wallace B. Jefferson is Co-Chair of the firm’s Texas Supreme Court and State Appellate Practice. Prior to joining the firm in 2013, he served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 2001 and named Chief Justice in 2004, Jefferson made Texas history as the Court’s first African American Justice and Chief Justice. He has successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Texas, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He led the Court’s efforts to fund access to justice programs; helped reform juvenile justice; and inaugurated a statewide electronic filing system for Texas courts. During his time on the bench, Jefferson was elected President of the Conference of Chief Justices, an association of chief justices from the 50 states and U.S. territories. In May 2026, he became the 11^th President of the American Law Institute since its founding in 1923.

A graduate of the James Madison College at Michigan State University and The University of Texas School of Law, Jefferson is the namesake for Wallace B. Jefferson Middle School in San Antonio. He is an elected member of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, and Director of the Holdsworth Center and Lexitas. He has been certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization since 1993.

He is listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2015-2026), Best Lawyers in America (2016-2026), and Texas Super Lawyers by Thomson Reuters (2015-2025).